Did Mitt Romney Just Embrace Solar And Wind Energy?

The headline,
as we reported earlier, is that he will seek to make the U.S.
energy independent by 2020, partially by expanding drilling on
federal lands and offshore.

But if you dig deeper, the document is far cry from "Drill Baby
Drill."

On p. 19, in the "Innovation" chapter, Romney's camp endorses
expanding solar, wind and other renewable forms of energy:

"Instead of distorting the playing field, the government should
be ensuring that it remains level. The same policies that
will open access to land for oil, gas, and coal development can
also open access for the construction of wind, solar, and
hydropower facilities. Strengthening and streamlining
regulations and permitting processes will benefit the development
of both traditional and alternative energy sources, and encourage
the use of a diverse range of fuels including
natural gas in transportation."

What's more, Romney says the the government should play an active
in investing in new forms of energy:

"The federal government has a role to play in facilitating
innovation in the energy industry. History shows that the
United States has moved forward in astonishing ways thanks
to investments in basic research that have produced
breakthroughs to benefit entire industries."

And he is in favor of maintaining the current renewable fuel
standard, which calls
for an increase to 36 billion gallons of renewable
blend by 2022 from 9 billion gallons in
2008:

"Support increased market penetration and competition among
energy sources by maintaining the RFS and eliminating regulatory
barriers to a diversification of the electrical grid, fuel
system, or vehicle fleet"

Romney has previously
said he would oppose a one-year extension of a tax
credit for wind energy. So how does he square these two
views?

Here, he is a bit more ambiguous:

"Instead of defining success as providing enough subsidies for an
uncompetitive technology to survive in the market, success should
be defined as eliminating any barriers that might prevent the
best technologies from succeeding on their own."